Allison’s face softened. “Well, why do you stay, then? Couldn’t you find somewhere safer to live?”
“My good wife and me and our children could move. But where could we go? Our only livin’ is to sell our meager wares to travelers and occasionally provide them shelter for the night. I ain’t got no plow, no mule, and no knowledge of farming. Perhaps we could become beggars in some town, though I don’t believe it would be any less dangerous for us to do so. And even if the four of us did leave, some here don’t have that sort of travelin’ in ’em. I can’t desert these people. They’ve been my friends all my life.”
“If you have so little, why do the brigands continue to harass you?”
“’Cause they can.” The statement was simple, yet powerful.
Jimmy spoke up. “Well, as it happens, we are pretty good at giving brigands serious beatdowns. Perhaps this is something we could help you with. Where do they live, and just how many are there?”
Claude cocked his head in confusion at Jimmy’s suggestion, then shrugged. “Usually there are fewer than a dozen. But even a half-dozen well-armed men are more than a match for the likes of us. They come from the north, through the woods, though it is possible they are attemptin’ to hide their tracks. I doubt it, though. They are brash enough and know we can’t do nothin’ about it.”
One of the children peeked out from behind his mother’s skirts. “Their camp really is up north, and not too far. Only a couple hours’ walk or so, if you hurry.”
The woman shushed him and tried to push him back behind her, but Claude replied, “You tellin’ fibs again, Fin? How should you know where they are?”
“’Cause I followed ’em once, Paw. I’m real quick and real quiet too. Remember that time I got lost and you found me wandering in the woods?” He blushed lightly and scuffed the ground with a foot. “I had followed ’em all the way to their camp and then came back. I’d thought I could sneak back into bed, but when I heard you callin’ my name I knew I was gonna get caught, so I pretended that I’d gotten lost. I sure am sorry, Paw.”
The child’s mother looked horrified, and she immediately shooed him back into their hovel. Her raised voice drifted through the walls, and though her words were unclear, her tone most certainly was not.
Claude just shook his head grimly. “Well, there you have it, strangers. You wanna find ’em, that’s the direction you should head. Not that I can really see why you’d go outta your way for us. We ain’t got nothing to repay you with.”
An awkward silence hung for just a moment before Allison said, “You don’t need to repay us with anything but your gratitude. We’ll see an end to these brigands so that you can live your lives in peace.”
If she was expecting a joyous reaction from the townsfolk, she was deeply disappointed. They looked at her with blank faces, devoid of optimism.
Claude replied, “Well, ma’am, if you say so, we’d be much obliged to you,” then left it at that. Evidently the charm of the ring only went so far. It might convince them that she was an important person, but it couldn’t convince them that she was at all interested in improving their meager lot in life. It also didn’t convince them to provide any assistance, whether food or guidance. “North, only a couple hours’ walk or so” was the extent of it.
Simon looked at Claude and said, “Is there anything else you’d like to tell us? I’ve a plus four in diplomatic interactions.”
The man simply stared at him for a few moments, then turned his back. “OK, folks, let ’em go about their business, and let’s go about our own. We sure got plenty to do as it is.” This was met with muttered acquiescence as the crowd dispersed. It wasn’t long before the six friends were standing alone on the path, their only company the eye of one of the children peering through a knothole in the plank wall of his house.
“Guess a plus four wasn’t good enough to get anything, though it usually is. Anyway, what do you guys think we should do? This is clearly a side quest, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s something juicy at the end of it. They wouldn’t have us tramping a couple hours off the path for no benefit, and it looks like they really spent a lot of work building up these houses and stuff. You want to go fight some brigands, or head off to fight whatever foozle that goblin warned us about?”
“I want to know what the hell that ‘other one’ comment was about,” muttered Stu, making air quotes with his fingers. “I’m pretty sure I’m not paying to field insults like that.”
“That’s not normal?” asked Allison.
“Not out here,” he replied, fists clenched. “Never where I could hear it, at least.”
TJ shook his head. “Yeah, that was bizarre. Some things you just don’t say, even in the context of being in character. But I didn’t recognize that actor. Maybe he’s new and too gung ho with the racial stereotypes of the time? He sure had Simon pegged.”
Jimmy patted Stu on the shoulder. “We’ll get it all sorted out when we get back to the lodge tonight. Don’t let one jerk ruin the whole weekend for you.”
The archer heaved a sigh. “OK, fine. I’ll let it go for now. But that wasn’t cool. And doesn’t solve the problem of what to do next.”
Chuck was first to answer. “Well, you know my stance on things. Brigands mean loot. I’m all for it.”
Stu nodded. “I agree. I could use the XP and can’t stand knowing there are folks up to no good in the forest. That’s two strong reasons in favor of it.”
“Sounds like we’re all in agreement,” TJ concluded. “A quick detour to bang some heads and grab some loot, and we’ll be back on track in no time!”
After one last look around they set off through the trees. While there wasn’t a path per se, there was clear evidence that people had been passing through that area. Stu noticed a couple footprints in dried mud, and he pointed out places where small branches had been snapped sideways, as someone walking past them might do.
“Well, that stands to reason,” said Chuck. “The NPCs had to head this direction, as did the group in front of us, so the way should be pretty obvious.”
What was surprising was how long the journey became. As TJ had explained to Allison earlier, long trips were typically shortened into fifteen- or twenty-minute walks representing days of travel. After they had walked for an hour with no visible signs of any bad guys, the group started to become restless.
“Man, did we take a wrong turn or something?” Chuck grumbled. “They couldn’t have just sent us on a wild-goose chase, could they? If so, I’m gonna ask for my money back, ’cause this is seriously not fun.” Then, in his best Bugs Bunny voice: “Maybe we shoulda taken that left at Albuquerque.” He groaned and sat down against a tree, then took out his water skin and had a long drink. “And my feet are starting to bug me. I’m not used to this tramping about in the woods. I’d much rather have nice cobbled streets under my feet.”
Allison looked at Chuck sympathetically. Her breastplate was starting to get heavy on her, but she knew she couldn’t drop it. Her uncle was expecting it to be returned to the theater on Sunday night, in the same condition he’d lent it. She didn’t look forward to explaining why it was damaged or missing and then having to chip in to replace it.
Stu shook his head. “No, we didn’t miss a turn. I’m sure of that. Look over here.” He pointed to something on the ground. “Do you see how that moss is pressed against the ground there? This sort of moss typically has a much greater volume when it grows wild. The fact that it’s crushed means that someone or something stepped on it. We haven’t lost the trail—we just haven’t walked far enough yet.”
“Whoa,” said Jimmy. “You just made that up, didn’t you?”
“Nah, of course not. I’ve spent years in woods just like these, learning the lay of the land. With all those brothers and sisters at home, I needed to get away a lot. I was never much for sports and really like the peace and quiet out here.” After a pause he continued. “I haven’t spent much time in this particular area, of course, but I recognize that moss. It’s called greybeard. Grows all over the place. It’s actually something you can make a nutritious soup out of, though I think you’d have to be pretty hard up to eat it.”